


all for nothing at all

by baessclarinet



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: One Shot, Songfic, adventures in the woods, angsty dimitri, possible ghosts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:41:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27626966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baessclarinet/pseuds/baessclarinet
Summary: Dimitri finds himself compelled to go into the woods one night. When Byleth goes to the cathedral and discovers he isn’t there, she follows. What was he looking for? They were going to find out.Post time skip, Azure Moon but no spoilers. Inspired by “Murders” by Miracle Musical.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	all for nothing at all

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the song “Murders” by Miracle Musical. I highly encourage you to listen to it before you read this.
> 
> This is just me writing how I imagine the nights at Garreg Mach with Dimitri might have gone while he was brooding and not dealing with his trauma. I will happily accept constructive criticism.

The night was still - everyone had gone to bed already. The only thing stirring was Byleth. She knew she needed to check on Dimitri. She had seen him tear his relic through the monsters in the afternoon, but she still saw one swipe at him and felt it necessary to make sure he wasn’t gravely injured. He wouldn’t let Mercedes near to check, so Byleth figured she would give it a try when everyone had fallen asleep.

These days, Dimitri could be found in the cathedral. She often joined him - her sitting in a pew while he stared at the rubble. The moments were quiet, but she thought, hoped, that maybe he would speak to her or open up. He never did. She at least wished her presence was comforting in some way.

When she got to the entrance of the cathedral, it was hauntingly quiet and most importantly, Dimitri wasn’t there. She found this odd, as she had fallen asleep in the pews before and he was still there in the morning. She turned and headed towards the Knights Hall. She remembered finding him there often as a student.

She headed the right way, because she could hear rustling at the stables. She picked up her pace and as soon as she arrived, she saw Dimitri getting onto a horse and riding away. ‘This is odd,’ she thought. She figured it best to get on a horse of her own and follow him. She grabbed a nearby saddle, secured it onto a horse and started on his course.

They rode for a long time, her just far enough behind that she could barely see him, only stopping when they got to the edge of the forest. He gracefully stepped down and tied the horse to a sturdy pine and walked into the forest. Byleth recognized this as the forest they went through on her way to Garreg Mach for the first time. It almost made her smile, but the thought was wiped away as she realized she couldn’t see Dimitri anymore.

She hopped off of her horse, tied it to the same pine, gave it a pat on the neck and headed into the trees. The moon was shining brightly enough that she could see the path, but she wasn’t sure which way Dimitri had gone. She stood still for a moment, hoping to hear something rustle and indicate which way he had gone.

———————

Dimitri knew Byleth was following him. There was no one else that would bother to saddle up a horse and follow him to a forest. He wasn’t sure why she was so insistent on making sure he was okay. He was a monster and he couldn’t understand why she cared about him.

‘She doesn’t really care about you,’ Glenn’s voice hissed in his ear. ‘Stupid fool, no one cares about you. You are a failure.’

Dimitri grimaced and nodded.

“I know.”

‘Don’t forget what you came here for,’ his father’s voice added.

‘Yes, come find us, boy,’ his stepmother begged.

Dimitri knew he had to look for them. They had been pleading with him to come into the forest since the battle earlier in the day. They said they would be here. He didn’t know how, as they had been gone for so many years, but he couldn’t pass up the chance to see them. He needed to find them and ask them for their forgiveness. He knew they would not give it, but he moved forward, deeper into the woods.

———————

As Byleth listened, she remembered a story her father had told her of the Erlking. The Erlking was a sort of demon or spirit that would find children who stayed too long in the wood and carry them away, never to come home again. Byleth shuddered thinking of it. ‘It’s probably just a story he told to make sure you didn’t stay out too late,’ she reminded herself.

As she straightened her thoughts out, she heard a branch break. She decided to follow the sound, hoping it would lead her to Dimitri.

———————

The deeper into the forest Dimitri went, the louder the voices were. They were usually quite loud, always taking over his thoughts and actions. This time, they were almost deafening. He was sure he was close.

A shadow that looked similar to his father’s silhouette shifted past him and he set off towards it, picking up a running pace. This was it. He would find them and beg their forgiveness. Maybe their voices would lessen if he did so.

The shadow brought him to a peculiar looking tree. It was clearly rotten, no leaves growing from it and he looked past it, realizing that a large pond sat right behind it. He stepped towards the pond and knelt down, looking into the water.

He let out a startled gasp. He could see them.

———————

As Byleth got closer to the sound she had heard previously, she heard more rustling. It sounded like someone running. She decided to follow the sound, picking up her pace but making sure to be as quiet as possible. She didn’t want to upset Dimitri, as he had been...unstable since she found him. He was not himself.

She looked to the ground in hopes to see some traces of his footsteps, and she did. As she followed them deeper into the woods, it got darker and darker. The leaves overhead blocked the path of the moonbeams and she soon couldn’t track his footsteps anymore.

But she heard his voice. It wasn’t too far away.

“All for nothing at all.”

His voice sounded raw and exhausted.

She started to run towards the sound of his voice and froze when she saw his outline in the dark, kneeling next to a pond - which was barely reflecting the moon’s light. She froze, not wanting to startle him and not knowing how to approach.

“I have done this all for you,” he screamed. “I have become a beast, a shell of a man just to get revenge for you. Will it ever be enough?”

He was silent for a moment, then let out a sad and defeated laugh.

“Yes, I know I am a failure. It was pointless for me to even try to ask for forgiveness. It will never come until I have avenged you.”

Byleth sighed as she realized that he was again speaking to the ghosts of his family and friends. She had heard him speak to them before, but only in whispers at the cathedral. She had always figured it was exhaustion, as he hardly slept. She was not aware of the burden he carried on his shoulders until she heard his screams.

———————

Dimitri heard the sound of a sigh. He did not turn to look. Byleth must have followed him this deep into the forest. He stared into the water at the faces of his family.

Their faces were so clear and their voices were so loud that it was almost like they were standing behind him. He wanted to reach out and grab his father’s face and pray that it was real - but he knew it was not.

He listened more as they berated him, reminding him of his mission and why he couldn’t rest until they did. He did not know why they called him here, but he wanted to stay if only to see their faces. Even though they reminded him of the worst parts of himself, he still loved them.

He flinched as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned only slightly to see the small and delicate hand of Byleth. He didn’t think she would want to touch him, and he pulled his shoulder away to save her the disgrace. He turned his face back to the lake and saw that the faces of his family had disappeared, though their voices lingered. Disappointment and anger raged through his veins and he let out a long, low howl.

They were gone.

———————

Byleth placed her hand back on his shoulder as he made the most mournful sound she had ever heard. He almost sounded like a wounded coyote and she wished to help him out of his misery. She did not know why he had come out here, but she knew she had to get him back to the monastery.

“Dimitri,” she whispered. He ignored her and continued to stare into the lake.

“Dimitri, I do not know what plagues you and I will not pretend to know,” she stated a little louder, “but I wish you’d come back with me. It is late and getting cold. You did not bring a weapon and it is not safe in the woods at night.”

He laughed bitterly and turned to face her, still kneeling near the pond. She removed her hand as he looked up at her. He had blocked her out so much that she couldn’t even tell what he was thinking as she met his gaze.

“Oh, come to collect a student who has wandered off? Just doing your job, I’m guessing.” His voice dripped with sarcasm and she almost cringed at the sound of it. She hated when he spoke this way.

“No, Dimitri. I was worried so I followed you,” she stated. He let out a snort and shook his head.

“No one worries about me. I am a boar, after all.”

She could feel frustration rising within her. She took a deep breath to settle it, but she knew that if he spoke like that once more, she would lose her temper. She stepped closer to him and knelt down to his level. She stared into his remaining eye, trying to display to him that she really did care.

Making what she knew was a bold choice, she placed a kiss on his forehead.

“It is your choice if you wish to follow me back.”

And with that, she turned and started on the path back to the pine tree where her horse was tied up. She didn’t hear anything behind her for a while, but she eventually heard his footsteps fall into time with her own. She smiled to herself and hoped that this was one step closer to the Dimitri she knew was buried deep inside.


End file.
